3 Door Questions the Supplier will Ask You!

Door Questions-What the Supplier will Ask You!

You will be asked some door questions once you start actually shopping. The salesperson needs specific door information to steer you in the right direction.

Let me tell you a quick story. I sent one of my clients off to shop for doors. She’s a smart woman, an attorney, and the salesperson at the door supplier is one of the best. My client came back discouraged, saying that she felt ‘lost and stupid’. That was the experience of a smart woman with an outstanding salesperson! There are tons of details.

There’s a tremendous amount of shopping to be done if you are building a new house Think about all the products you must choose: doors, windows, roofing, exterior covering, flooring, cabinets, counters, lighting, plumbing fixtures….and the beat goes on. Each of those products is sold through different suppliers and with multiple trips to each-that is A LOT of your time.

What’s the moral of the story for the homeowner? Do as much research and homework as you can before shopping. It will save you both time and frustration.

Here are the first things that you need to know when shopping for doors. Most likely, these 3 questions will be the first you are asked once you sit down with a salesperson.

1. Paint or Stain — Why is this important? If you want stained doors, then some lines (like molded doors) are not available to you. Only a wood door can be stained. Now the salesperson knows which way to steer you.

2. Height Considerations — Why is this a first question? Doors taller than 8 ft. are available, although these are custom-made and more expensive. The salesperson would need to make sure it is available to you in the manufacturer’s line she is considering for you. For many years, the “standard” height for interior doors was 6-’8” (6 foot, 8 inches), or 80”. Now, standard heights are 80”, 84” and 96” (6’-8”, 7’ and 8’). If the house has high ceilings and large rooms, doors taller than 6’-8” look appropriate and amazing. Click on the link for more information on standard door sizes.

Height impacts the look of a house in a major way which is one of the main reasons they are chosen early-on in the process.

3. Hardware Finish — The hardware ‘finish’ refers to the color and texture (although technically it can refer to the material from which it is made). Common finishes for knobs and hinges are brass (polished or dull), brushed chrome, nickel, bronze and antique brass.

This choice can be tricky because you need to have a vision of the color and finish of other hardware items in the house (way before you thought that you might need to decide). To connect the interior visually, you should see the same “finish” on door hardware, electrical and plumbing fixtures.

The “finish” does not have to carry throughout the whole house – it works best where rooms flow into one another. For example, if your kitchen has a nickel finish faucet and nickel finish lights, then order nickel finish for the hinges and knobs there. Read more about hinges and knobs to help with this decision making early on.

Remember, when prehung door units are ordered, the doors and the hinges are together. Doorknobs are purchased later. This means the hinge finish should be chosen now.

Having the answers upfront for these door questions will go a long way and save you time. Happy shopping!